By Morgan Tarpley
So blogging and I have quite the sporadic relationship…and I
haven’t been able to figure out how to make it work.
I don’t know about you but when I started this journey of
novel writing and the road to publication I read over and over that you must
have an online presence and blogging is one of the best ways to do it. So, yes,
I started a blog and then I got really bored with it.
I also realized I have way too many hobbies and interests to
limit myself to just those two areas for writing fodder. So I decided to ditch
my original blog and take a break for a good while (err…cough…a year). Anyway,
I do agree that blogging can be a great way to build an online presence I just hadn’t
found a way it worked for me.
All my planned novels touch on a little bit of a different
pastime, etc. that I enjoy, so I thought why not simply have a blog that
features all of my favorite things—which, of course, appear in my novels. This
may not be a plan recommended by the literary industry, but I say if you’re
going to do a blog it needs to be something you’re passionate about and a
subject/s that you can write about continuously. Because the thing about blogs is
you have to post to have one. (Genius notion, right? Haha.)
These thoughts led me to ask my husband if he would start a
blog with me that features all of our favorite things. One way I have learned
to be consistent on a blog is to have help, at least one other person to share
the load. That’s proven true with this very blog and its myriad of fascinating
contributors. It works.
Well, my husband and I have only just started our blog
(www.wanderersforlife.com), but I hope we can use it to document our many
adventures together and cover our many interests such as travel, food, style,
faith, etc. and hopefully meet some like-minded folks along the way. But if it
ends up just for us that’s okay too.
So what is your take on blogs to build your online presence? Have you had a similar experience to mine? I’d love to hear some insight into your blogging experience. Have a great day everyone!
Morgan Tarpley is an award-winning newspaper reporter and photographer in Louisiana. She is also a contemporary-historical (dual time) novelist currently seeking representation. Besides writing and traveling to over a dozen countries, her interests include acting in her local theater, genealogy, photography, and singing. She resides in Louisiana with her husband.
For more information about Morgan, visit her website (www.morgantarpley.com)
and the blog she has with her husband (www.wanderersforlife.com). You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,
or Goodreads.
The hard part is figuring out what to focus blogs on. :) I'e tried all sorts of things, and finding the easiest for me is being a contributor on group blogs.
ReplyDeleteThanks for weighing in, Angela! Yes, it is hard to find the blog focus. I really enjoy being a part of this blog and knowing that I'm not doing this blogging thing alone. :)
DeleteWhen I first started blogging, I didn't realize there was a whole etiquette thing about it, in terms of commenting back on the blogs of people who comment on your blog etc. Once I started doing that, I had a fabulous time getting "to know" many other bloggers, but...it was incredibly time consuming. Most of us were newbie writers doing what we were told we should do and our energy soon petered out. Especially when some guru, I forget who, gave us permission to NOT blog. LOL It seems to me that interest in blogs has waned now that everyone has one. I love group blogs like this that allow us to glimpse into a wide variety of authors lives on a regular rotation.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting, Sandra! :) You are so right. There is so much to learn and take in and filter out especially as a newbie. It was so overwhelming (still is).
DeleteSandra, I certainly agree with you about blog interest waning because of the quantity of them. There are so many out there today that you really have to stand out. I think that is done by being passionate about what you're blogging about and blogging regularly (and answering comments) - and the easiest way to me to do both is through joining or starting a group blog. So yay for ICFW! I'm thankful to be a part of it.
Morgan, love this post. Yes, my enthusiasm for blogging petered out too and much prefer sharing on group blogs like ICFW. But I think having one with hubby is a great idea. Means you share the load not just from a writing perspective but also ideas which I found the most challenging aspect of blogging. What can I write about?
ReplyDeleteI haven't found many fiction authors who are consistent bloggers. It appears email newsletters appear to be both more satisfying and useful for authors and their readers alike.
I trust the two of you are having fun documenting your wanderings. I'll pop over to check it out.
Bless,
Thank for commenting, Ian! And yes, we are having fun with the blog. We're just getting started with it. :)
DeleteI also agree that fiction authors do better with email newsletters. Thanks for your insight! And go ICFW!
I found I could either blog or write my book. Not both. So my blog has become occasional--not what the experts recommend. And I'm not the social type, so commenting on other's blogs and even Facebook are chores for me. Group blogs are great, but I sometimes wonder if there is anyone out there besides fellow-bloggers. Things were a lot simpler in "the old days." :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for weighing in, LeAnne! I so know what you mean. The web is so saturated with blogs and different social media everywhere that it's hard not to think "Where's the audience?"
DeleteBut the great thing about group blogs is that we have a larger chance of bringing in more people who are not bloggers to notice our group as we post (even occasionally) on our social media mediums about a blog post. We're in this together.
I've also been at the point where I had to choose between writing a novel or blogging and I chose the novel. That was over a year ago and I'm only able to put a footprint on the blogging world again because I started this totally relaxed blog with my husband. I don't think I could try that rigorous blogging schedule stuff again by myself. It is tough. Thanks for commenting!
Like everyone else, I battle to keep going on my blogs. I have two websites - and each has its own blog. I try to writer in series and schedule a post to appear just once a week. I thought I was doing okay (for the first time in years) and then I ended up having two surgeries back to back and I've lost my momentum. Now to try and figure out where to go next!
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else, I battle to keep going on my blogs. I have two websites - and each has its own blog. I try to writer in series and schedule a post to appear just once a week. I thought I was doing okay (for the first time in years) and then I ended up having two surgeries back to back and I've lost my momentum. Now to try and figure out where to go next!
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else, I battle to keep going on my blogs. I have two websites - and each has its own blog. I try to writer in series and schedule a post to appear just once a week. I thought I was doing okay (for the first time in years) and then I ended up having two surgeries back to back and I've lost my momentum. Now to try and figure out where to go next!
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else, I battle to keep going on my blogs. I have two websites - and each has its own blog. I try to writer in series and schedule a post to appear just once a week. I thought I was doing okay (for the first time in years) and then I ended up having two surgeries back to back and I've lost my momentum. Now to try and figure out where to go next!
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else, I battle to keep going on my blogs. I have two websites - and each has its own blog. I try to writer in series and schedule a post to appear just once a week. I thought I was doing okay (for the first time in years) and then I ended up having two surgeries back to back and I've lost my momentum. Now to try and figure out where to go next!
ReplyDelete